Lowering and handling apparatus for burial vaults



April 26, 1932. c. L. BERG 1,855,469

LOWERING AND HANDLING APPARATUS FOR BURIAL VAULTS Filed April 24, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR:

[6 awf zb ATTORNEY April 26, 1932.

c L. BERG 1,855,469

LOWERING AND HANDLING APPARATUS FOR BURIAL VAULTS "Filed April 24, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z4 in a "1X 26 /0-- Z7 27 i 1 0 2 3y 2.? Z

INVENTOR:

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April 26, 1932. Q BERG 1,855,469

LOWERING AND HANDLING APPARATUS FOR BURIAL VAULTS Filed April 24, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 26, 1932 UNITED STATES GHRISTY L. BERG, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI LOWERING AND HANDLING APPARATUS FOR BUBIAI: VAULTS Application filed April 24,

This invention relates generally to a lowering and handling apparatus for burial vaults and the like and more particularly to a mechanical apparatus for and method of 5 lowering a cofiin and vault into a grave in the process of interment.

The main object of the invention is to provide an improved method of interment, together with a suitable apparatus whereby the 10 method may be practised and wherein the usual coflin is enclosed in a vault or burial case formed of concrete or other suitable ma terial which will protect the coflin and at the same time present a neat and ornamental appearance. The method in brief consists in supporting the separable base or bottom of the vault over the mouth of the grave suspending the vault itself above its base in substantial spaced relation thereto, the placing of the coflin on the vault base immediamly below the vault, lowering the vault over the cofiin and then lowering the whole assembly to the bottom of the grave. The foregoing steps with the exception of placing the coffin on the vault base are carried out'entirely by the apparatus herein described.

Another object is to provide an apparatus of this character and purpose which will be simple and eflicient and which is so constructed that it may be readily set up for use and as readily dimantled or transportation from place to place.

These and other objects together with means whereby the same may be carried into eifect will best be understood from the following description of the method and of a preferred embodiment of apparatus as constituting part of the invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein: I

Figure 1 is a side view of the apparatus ready for use, showing the vault suspended above its base and showing in broken lines the coflin set uponthat base. t

Figure 2 is an end view of the apparatus showing-the vault lowered over the coiiin.

Figure 3 is a side view slightly reduced in scale showing the vault and coflin lowered to the bottom of the grave.

Figure 4 is an'enlarged detail of the releas- 1931. Serial No. 532,444.

able connection between the vault and the lowering straps of the apparatus.

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross section through a portion of the lowering apparatus showing the assembly of operating gears and the hand wheel.

In carrying out the invention I provide four corner posts 1 preferably, though not necessarily, formed of pipe or similar tubular material so as to combine strength with relative lightness, this construction being used wherever possible throughout the apparatus. Four pipe Ts 2 are placed on the posts 1, one T on each post,and are secured thereto in horizontal alignment adjacent one end of the posts by pins 3. Relatively short sleeves or tubes 4 are threaded in the lateral outlets 5 of the Ts 2 and are braced and at the same time locked against unscrewing from the Ts by braces 6 extendedangularly between the sleeves and the posts 1. Two wooden beams or sills 7 are provided to serve as a base for the apparatus and sockets 8 are secured by their base flanges 9 to these sills, there being four sockets in all, one adjacent each end of the sills, the sockets on each sill being spaced apart a distance somewhat greater than the length ofthe usual grave which is indicated generally throughout the drawings by the reference character A. The sockets 8 are reamed to frictionally receive and engage the lower ends of the four corner posts 1 to support the posts in an upright position and yet allow their ready removal from the sockets when desired. The posts 1 are arranged on the sills 7 in such manner that the sleeves at of each pair of posts 1 on each. sill 7 are directed'inwardly or toward each other and side arms or bars 10 of tubular construction are slidably mounted at their ends in the said sleeves 4. The aforesaid construction thus provides two substantially H-sh aped side frames which are disposed one on each side of the grave as shown- Two gear housings 11 are provided, the same being formed oftwo complementary castings 12 secured together by bolts 13 and having sockets 14: adapted to sit over the upper ends of two of the corner posts 1 as mounted on one sill. The castings 12 are also formed with mating gear recesses and shaft ways 16. Two Ts 17 are threaded by their lateral outlets 18 on the upper ends of the two posts 1 on the other sill 7 and have their heads 19 reamed to freely receive the cross shafts or rollers 20 which are journaled in these Ts adjacentone end and are journaled in and extended through the gear housings 11 at their other ends. Two worm gears 21 are keyed on the rollers 20 within the housings 11 and drive shafts 22 are journaled through the shaft ways 16 and are provided with worms 23 meshing with thesaid worm gears 21.- Hand wheels 24 are secured to the outer ends of the drive shafts 22 and it will be readily apparent that the rollers 20 may berotated'by turning these hand wheels. The'rollers 20 are of course of such length as to allow the side frames and sills 7 to be set apart a distance somewhat greater than the width of the grave A. Four lowering straps 25 of any suitable flexible and strong -material are provided, two straps being secured by one end to each of the rollers 20, in spaced relation. The strapsare rolled or wound upon themselves around the rollers 20 and of course will. be payed out or unrolled by rotating the hand wheels 24 in one direction and will be rewound or drawn upward by a reverse movement of the wheels. Triangular loops or eyes 26 are secured to the free ends of the straps 25 and S-shaped or as they are commonly called, S hooks 27 are hooked through thesev eyes .2 5 as shown. The foregoing elements constitute theframework of the apparatus and it will be noted that the same may be readily dismantled for transportation from place to place,the dismantling resulting in the dividing of the frame into the four posts 1, two sills 7, two side arms 10, and two rollers 20 together with the gear housings llj and opera-ting mechanisms therein. I The; apparatus is for use in connection with a hollow vault B formed of concrete or other similar material and of generally rectangular form with its underside open and adapted to seat on the base or bottom slab C in the manner best shown. in Figure 2. The coffin D of conventional form is set upon the base (1 and is enclosed within the vault B when the same is lowered over its base thus entirely enclosing the cofiin. as will be understood. In accordance with the invention the vault B has laterally extended rods 28 at its ends and near itsunderside which may be apart of the usual reinforcing. frame work commonly employed in constructing such devices of concrete the. ends of the vault. have spaced recesses 29 whichexpose portions of these rods as shown inv Figure 4 soas to provide catches with which. the S hooks 27 may be engaged. The vault may thus be raised and suspended above the mouth ofthe graveA as shown in Figure lby means of the straps 2 5. The base C of the vault is supported directly above the mouth of the grave by cross pieces 30 resting at their ends upon the beams or sills 7. Lowering cables 31 are provided and the same are passed laterally beneath the base C adjacent each end thereof, the said cables being of such length as to permit their being pulled upward at their ends alongside and above the vault B whenthe same is resting on its base as shown in Figure 2. Rings 82 are secured to the ends of the cables 31 for engagement with the hooks 27 at the ends of straps 25.

In performing the act of interment the vault B isfirst elevated above the mouth of the grave by hooking the S-hooks 27 into the catches 28 and then winding up the straps 25. The vault B may then be supported on the side arms 10 of the frames by cross pieces 3% to relieve the straps 25 of strain, these cross pieces beingremoved when the vault is lowered as willv be pointed out. The base C is then positioned over the grave and supported in place by thecross pieces 30, these operations of course beingcarried out prior to the arrival of the coffin at the grave. The pallbearers deposit the coffin on the base C and the operators of the apparatus then lower the vault B over the coflin to its base C by turning the hand wheels 24. The hooks 27 are disengaged. from the catches 28 at the ends of the vault and the ends of the cables 31 are drawn upward alongside the vault and the hooks 27 engaged with the rings 32 after the straps 25 have been wound up somewhat to assume a taut condition the cables 31 thus forming a sling for lowering the vault. The vault and base with the enclosed coffin are then elevated sufficiently to permitthe removal ofthe cross pieces 30, after which the vault is lowered to the bottom of the grave. The hooks 27 are then disengaged from one end of each' of the cables 31- and the straps 25 wound up thus drawing the cables from the grave and leaving the vault in place. The vault preferably rests on bricks or similar supporting element-s33 at the bottom of the grave to facilitate the removal of the cables 31 as described. It is thus evident that the method of handling the vault and making the interment is simple, rapid, and readily performed by two men, one at each of'the operating wheels 24, of the apparatus, and that the use of this apparatus makes an entirely new method of handling the vault and coflin possible. Hitherto it has been the practice to lower the coffin into a box or burial case disposed at the bottom of the grave, the operation being performed manually inmost cases and being very inconvenient and ineflicient as is apparent. The use of the present apparatus aside from the increased facility inhandling the coflin and performing the operation of interment, allows the use of a concrete vault for enclosing said cofli'n to protect the same from the corrosion and disintegrating effects of time. The lowering apparatus here described, could however, be used also for performing the aforesaid lowering of the coflin alone into the grave if so desired. Further advantages and uses of the apparatus as well as the practicing and advantages of the method of handling made possible by the apparatus will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

While I have herein described a certain preferred embodiment and assembly of apparatus designed for carrying out and performing the method of interment referred to, and have described a certain sequence of steps and operations for practicing the said method of interment, it is understood that I may vary in minor details both the elements of the apparatus as well as the steps of the method, without departing from the spirit of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus of the kind described, a pair of sills for disposal at the sides of a grave, socket elements secured to the sills adjacent the ends thereof, corner posts vertically and removably supported in the said socket elements, Ts secured to the corner posts adjacent their upper ends, sleeves threaded in the said Ts and directed inwardly towards each other, side arms removably mounted at their ends in the said sleeves, gear housings removably mounted on the upper ends of the corner posts on one sill, the said gear housings comprising complementary sections having mating sockets to receive the upper ends of the said corner posts and having also mating gear recesses and drive shaft ways. Ts threaded on the upper ends of the other corner posts, rollers journaled through the said gear housing and rotatably and removably journaled through the said Ts, worm gears secured to the said rollers and disposed in the said gear recesses in the gear housings, drive shafts journaled in the shaft ways in the gear housing, Worms on the said drive shafts in mesh with the said Worm gears, hand. wheels secured to the outer ends of the drive shafts, straps secured at their ends in spaced relation upon the rollers and adapted to he wound around the said rollers, eyes secured to the free ends of the straps, and hooks connected to the said eyes.

2. In an apparatus of the kind described, a pair of sills, socket elements mounted adjacent the ends of the sills, corner posts vertically and removably supported in the socket elements, Ts secured to the corner posts adj acent their upper ends, sleeves threaded in the Ts, side arms removably mounted at their ends in the sleeves, gear housings removably mounted on the upper ends of the corner posts on one sill, Ts threaded on the upper ends of the corner posts on the other sill, rollers journaled through the said gear housings and Ts at the upper ends of the corner posts, worm gears secured to the rollers and disposed within the said gear housings, drive shafts journaled through the gear housings, worms on the drive shafts Within the housing in mesh with the said worm gears, hand wheels secured on the outer ends of the drive shafts, straps secured at their ends to the rollers and wound thereupon, eyes secured to the free ends of the straps and hooks connected to the said eyes.

3. In an apparatus of the kind described, a pair of sills, socket elements on the sills, corner posts vertically and removably supported in the socket elements, side arms detachably connecting the corner posts on each sill, gear housings removably mounted on the corner posts on one sill, Ts secured to the corner posts on the other sill, rollers journaled through the said gear housings and Ts, drive shafts journaled in the gear housings, hand wheels secured on the drive shafts, meshed gears on the said rollers and drive shafts within the said gear housings, straps secured at their ends to the rollers adjacent each end thereof, and hooks connected to the free ends of the straps.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

OHRISTY L. BERG. 

